New York, USA.- Fundación Reservas del País participated in the side event on the implementation of Social Development Policies in support of the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the framework of the United Nations High-Level Political Forum (HLPF).

“The Reservas del País Foundation is a non-profit association, a subsidiary of the Banco de Reservas of the Dominican Republic, with a unique business model that does not exist anywhere else in the Caribbean.

We carry out our work based on three pillars: Second-tier financing, technical assistance, and completely free training.” This was stated by Ms. María Isabel Pérez Magluta, Executive President of the Reservas del País Foundation, at this important forum held at the United Nations headquarters.

“At our Foundation, we work to create opportunities for the microfinance sector, with a collaborative effort that impacts communities in every corner of our country. We are pleased to share that the model is so successful, with the delinquency rate to date being just 1.37%, lower than that of formal banking in Latin America,” Mrs. Pérez continued.

She also highlighted that the Reservas del País Foundation actively contributes to at least 11 of the Sustainable Development Goals, through the financing products they offers, such as Vivienda Productiva, Standard and Green Credit, and also free training. Among the SDGs, she cited a few: Gender Equality, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and the End of Poverty.

Regarding the latter, the End of Poverty, she explained the following: "We have a loan portfolio that amounts to the equivalent of more than 57 million United States dollars, and throughout our history, we have approved 150 million and disbursed 148 million to our partner borrowers, with programs created for microentrepreneurs in vulnerable sectors in our country.”

Pérez Magluta concluded her presentation by calling on the international community to help other developing countries to replicate Reservas del País's business model, which so greatly helps people become financially independent and take control of their own destiny. By promoting entrepreneurship and the economic empowerment of people in vulnerable situations, we are ensuring the development of communities and cities, as stipulated in number 11 of the SDG’s: Sustainable Cities and Communities.